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DataSync & Backup

Links: 101 AWS SAA Index

DataSync

  • Move large amount of data to and from
    • On-premises / other cloud to AWS (NFS, SMB, HDFS, S3 API...) - needs agent
    • AWS to AWS (different storage services) - NO agent needed
  • Example use case:
    • You have on-premises sensitive files and documents that you want to continuously synchronise to AWS to keep another copy.

  • Can synchronise to:

    • S3 (any storage classes including Glacier). Data can be directly moved to Glacier.
    • EFS
    • FSx for Windows

  • Move data from your NAS or file system via NFS or SMB

    • File permissions and metadata are preserved (NFS POSIX, SMB, etc.)
  • Replication tasks can be scheduled hourly, daily, weekly.
    • It is NOT continuous.
  • It is automated and managed.
  • Can be used to synchronise 2 EFS across regions.
Generally used when you no longer need to store data on premises.
Keywords: data replication, automated, moving on premise data.

  • Sometimes the question will mention that there is not enough bandwidth capacity.

    • In such cases we have to use AWS Snowcone.
    • It comes with DataSync agent already installed.
    • We can just run snowcone on premises, pull the data and then shipped back to AWS.

  • Diagram (AWS DataSync NFS / SMB to AWS):

    • attachments/Pasted image 20230306104554.jpg
In questions whenever you see preserve metadata, go for DataSync.

Backup

  • Fully managed service
  • Centrally manage and automate backups across AWS services
  • Centralized backup management service for organizations.
  • No need to create custom scripts and manual processes
  • Supported services: Everything you can think of.
    • Amazon FSx, Amazon EFS, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon EC2, Amazon EBS, Amazon RDS (AIl DBs engines), Amazon Aurora, AWS Storage Gateway (Volume Gateway)
  • Supports cross-region and cross-account backups.
  • Supports PITR (Point in time recovery) for supported services
  • On-Demand and Scheduled backups
  • You create backup policies known as Backup Plans:
    • Backup frequency (every 12 hours, daily, weekly, monthly, cron expression)
    • Backup window
    • Transition to Cold Storage (Never, Days, Weeks, Months, Years)
    • Retention Period (Always, Days, Weeks, Months, Years)
We need backup for databases because the automated backups only have a duration from 7 to 35 days. If we want to store them for longer duration we need to create snapshots. Backup automates the process of snapshot creation.
You create and backup plan for an AWS service and then backup stores its snapshot in S3.

Backup Vault Lock

  • Enforce a WORM (Write Once Read Many) state for all the backups that you store in your AWS Backup Vault.
    • Backups CAN'T be deleted.
  • Additional layer of defense to protect your backups against:
    • Inadvertent or malicious delete operations
    • Updates that shorten or alter retention periods
  • Even the root user CANNOT delete backups when enabled.

Last updated: 2023-03-24